Keep in mind neither Jesus nor his apostles inferred a purgatory. They taught only heaven or hell. Jesus(as recorded in Jn.5:24) said that “he that hears and believes…has(present) everlasting life,and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Now, I would think He would’ve mentioned anything as important as an ’ interruption in time’ for purification if it existed… Two points: either the Holy Spirit guided the word “has” meaning “now possesses” everlasting life or He didn’t. Many other verses such as ll Cor.5:8 only point to two locations for the soul…either here, or with the Lord. What Dr. Stanley was relating was the fact that either Christ’s blood fully accomplished our positioning in heaven, or it didn’t (and something else was needed–which would mean the cross was not 100% effective for that purpose).
Hmmm…incomplete is your understanding, you just need to look deeper in Scripture:
catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0091.html
Purgatory: Holy Fire
SCOTT HAHN
Jesus(as recorded in Jn.5:24) said that “he that hears and believes…has(present) everlasting life,and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Now, I would think He would’ve mentioned anything as important as an ’ interruption in time’ for purification if it existed…
From the link above:
Now, what do you mean “some place else?” You’re just fabricating that for the convenience of defending the doctrine. Not so. As we unpack the doctrinal teachings and the evidence from scripture, we can see this idea clearly stated, even in the New Testament. Turn with me now to 1st Peter, chapter 3, beginning in verse 17. In 1st Peter, chapter 3, verse 17, we read, “For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all. The righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God. Being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit in which He went and preached to the spirits in prison.” …At any rate, we have something that is neither hell nor heaven which Christ entered and then exited and, as the early Church firmly believed throughout the Church, Christ descended into hades. That’s the term, we translate it hell, but we sometimes mislead people — He descended into hades and then He ascended into heaven leading captivity captive, as Ephesians 4 says.
Now, somebody could say, “Where else do you go?” Let’s take a look at the Book of Revelation, chapter 20, verses 4-6 and 11 and following. In Revelation 20, John has a vision… Death and hades gave up the dead in them and all were judged by what they had done. Then death and hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death and if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Two classes of righteous, those who are martyred, they just went straight to heaven and sat on thrones and reigned with Christ. But there’s a second group, isn’t there? Those that did not participate in the first resurrection of the righteous martyrs, but they did have their names written in the book of life; so when the white throne, the great white throne of judgment occurs, they are delivered from hades. They participate in what you could call the second resurrection, not the second death and afterwards death and hades are swallowed up in the lake of fire, and then you’ve got pure hell and pure heaven and no more intermediate place or state at the end of time.
And more…Let’s turn to Romans 8 and see this doctrine taught further. Romans 8 is one of my favorite all-time passages and has been for years and years as a Protestant as well as a Catholic, but I must say I’ve slightly adjusted my understanding in the last few years. I always thought that Romans 8, which many considered to be — I mean Romans is in a sense the central gem in a cluster of Pauline precious stones. Romans 8 is the central facet that glistens and gleams. It’s beautiful. It’s a promise that we will persevere through the Holy Spirit.
